Psalms 81

1 For the end, a Psalm for Asaph, concerning the wine presses. Rejoice you in God our helper; shout aloud to the God of Jacob.

For the leader. On the gittith. Of Asaph. Sing aloud to God our strength, shout for joy to the God of Jacob.

2 Take a psalm, and produce the timbrel, the pleasant lute with the harp.

Raise a song, sound the timbrel, sweet lyre and harp.

3 Blow the trumpet at the new moon, in the glorious day of your feast.

On the new moon blow the horn, at the full moon, the day of our festival.

4 For [this] is an ordinance for Israel, and a statute of the God of Jacob.

For this is a statute for Israel, a ruling of the God of Jacob,

5 He made it [to be] a testimony in Joseph, when he came forth out of the land of Egypt: he heard a language which he understood not.

a witness he set up in Joseph, when he marched against Egypt’s land, where he heard an unknown voice say:

6 He removed his back from burdens: his hands slaved in making the baskets.

“I removed from your shoulder the burden, and freed your hands from the basket.

7 You did call upon me in trouble, and I delivered you; I heard you in the secret place of the storm: I proved you at the water of Strife. (Pause)

At your call of distress I delivered you, from the thundercloud I answered you. At Meribah’s waters I tested you. (Selah)

8 Hear, my people, and I will speak to you, O Israel; and I will testify to you: if you will listen to me;

“Listen, my people, to my warning, O Israel, if you would but listen!

9 there shall be no new god in you; neither shall you worship a strange god.

There must not be a strange god among you, you must bow to no foreign god.

10 For I am the Lord your God, that brought you out of the land of Egypt: open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.

I am the Lord your God who brought you up out of Egypt. Open your mouth, that I fill it.

11 But my people listened not to my voice; and Israel gave no heed to me.

“But my people did not listen to my voice, Israel would have none of me.

12 So I let them go after the ways of their own hearts: they will go on in their own ways.

So to their own hard hearts I left them, to follow their own devices.

13 If my people had listened to me, if Israel had walked in my ways,

O that my people would listen, that Israel would walk in my ways.

14 I should have put down their enemies very quickly, and should have laid my hand upon those that afflicted them.

Soon would I humble their enemies, and turn my hand on their foes.

15 The Lord's enemies [should have] lied to him: but their time shall be for ever.

Those who hate the Lord would cringe before him in everlasting terror.

16 And he fed them with the fat of wheat; and satisfied them with honey out of the rock.

But you would I feed with the richest wheat, and with honey from the rock to your heart’s desire.”